The present invention relates to a new and distinct cultivar of Vernonia plant of hybrid origin and will be referred to hereinafter by its cultivar name, ‘Summer's Surrender’. The new cultivar represents a new herbaceous perennial grown for landscape use.
The new invention arose from an ongoing breeding program by the Inventor in Glencoe, Ill. The objectives of the breeding program are to develop improved cultivars of interspecific hybrids of Vernonia with novel ornamental traits such as plant habit, disease resistance, hardiness in U.S.D.A. Zone 5 and in ground cultural adaptability.
‘Summer's Surrender’ was derived from a cross made in September of 2010 under controlled conditions between unnamed unpatented plants of Vernonia lettermannii as the female seed parent and an unnamed and unpatented plant of Vernonia arkansana as the male pollen parent. ‘Summer's Surrender’ was selected in September of 2013 as a single unique plant amongst the resulting seedlings.
Asexual propagation of the new cultivar was first accomplished by shoot tip cuttings by the Inventor in June 2013 in Glencoe, Ill. Asexual propagation by shoot tip cuttings has determined that the characteristics of this cultivar are stable and reproduced true to type in successive generations.